1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing controller and a test support system, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in an image processing controller that outputs a determination signal based upon a camera image obtained by photographing an object to be tested.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an image processing controller which performs image processing on a camera image obtained by photographing an object to be tested and outputs as a processing result a determination signal indicating a determination result based upon a shape, a position and a camera image of the object to be tested, or the like, one capable of changing a series of processing procedure is known (e.g. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H09-288568). Typically a control program for making such an image processing controller execute a series of processing procedure is created by an editor (software) that operates on an information processing terminal such as a PC (personal computer). A user can transfer the created control program to the image processing controller, so as to perform a desired test on the object to be tested.
Generally, when an object to be tested is determined to have abnormality or deficiency as a result of image processing, verification as to whether or not image processing was normally performed requires checking of a camera image and a measurement result acquired at the time of the image processing. The foregoing image processing controller has conventionally been provided with the function of holding a camera image and a measurement result, acquired when executing a control program, as history information. Making such history information displayed on a display enables checking of a camera image and a measurement result acquired when executing a control program. However, since a camera image and a measurement result are accumulated as separate pieces of information, when the measurement result is intended to be graphically displayed on the camera image, it has been necessary to execute measurement again and recalculate a measurement value based upon the camera image so as to obtain a measurement result from the camera image. That is, in the conventional image processing controller, it has not been possible to graphically display a measurement result accumulated as history information on a camera image without re-execution of a control program. There has further been a problem in that, when a measurement result is intended to be graphically displayed on a camera image, a control program needs to be executed again, which necessitates a suspension of operation of the controller. Moreover, graphically displaying a measurement result on a camera image on the PC has required a simulation of image processing.
There has further been a problem in that, when a control program is executed again, a state of a variable (counter or the like) which changes in time series every time of repeated execution of the control program is not reflected, causing generation of a difference between an actual measurement result and a recalculation result, and hence a history cannot be accurately recreated. There has further been a problem in that in a case of a control program for performing image processing with reference to an external input, the state of the external input changes.